1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer hardware and, more specifically, to strain-relieving devices for cables and cable connectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Instruments for collecting data or information from an environment or unit under test may be coupled to and controlled by computer systems (e.g., through a cable between the instrument and the computer system). Examples of various types of instruments include oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, pressure sensors, etc., and the types of information that might be collected by respective instruments include voltage, resistance, distance, velocity, pressure, frequency of oscillation, humidity or temperature, among others. Data collected by these instruments may be used to control units being tested (e.g., an overheated unit may be shutdown) or an environment (e.g., ventilation systems may be activated if a certain chemical is detected in the air). Data may also be displayed to a user responsible for control and/or may be monitored for experimental purposes (e.g., to better design the unit being tested). Instruments and/or computer systems may also perform various data analysis and data processing on collected data prior to controlling a unit and/or displaying data to the user.
Instrumentation systems may run on a platform such as PXI (Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) eXtensions for Instrumentation). PXI may combine a high-speed PCI bus with integrated timing and triggering designed for measurement and automation applications to deliver performance improvements over other architectures. PXI may be built on a modular and scalable CompactPCI specification and the high-speed PCI bus architecture. As a result, PXI products may maintain interoperability with CompactPCI, offering increased mechanical integrity, easier systems integration, and additional expansion slots than desktop computers.
While PXI may offer substantially improvements, it may also pose several challenges. For example, cables used between a PXI module and an external system (e.g., an instrumentation system) may be coupled to the PXI module by an Input/Output (I/O) card in a slot on the PXI module. Various rugged environments may put strain on the cable and, correspondingly, on the I/O card and card connection to the PXI module. This strain may detach the cable from the I/O card and/or detach the I/O card from the PXI module, possibly resulting in a loss of data, loss of time (to reattach the I/O card and cable to the PXI module), and/or damage.